Fault
by Rin-nocence
Summary: A single death. Dead, gone forever. The pain of losing a loved one is a very painful one. But it wasn't on accident. It was all his fault.


**A little ficlet about a lover's death for a competition on FB by PrincessxThexRipper. I apologize for OOC-ness, grammatical/spelling errors or anything that finds it's way to annoy you. **

**Title: Fault**

**Summary: A single death. Dead, gone forever. The pain of losing a loved one is a very painful one. But it wasn't on accident. It was all his fault.**

**Pairing: 8027 or Tsuna x Yamamoto**

**Warning: Character death, slight 9625, but definitely 8027. Un-beta-ed**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Hitman Reborn, as they are used in this fic.**

**Rating: T for language.**

**Words: 2,200 approx.**

* * *

Gunshots. Screams. Splatters. Crimson liquid.

"TAKE THE CHANCE! KILL HIM! HE'S OPEN!"

"NO! TSUNA!"

More gunshots. Explosions. Dull thuds.

A high-pitched squeak.

"YAMAMOTO!"

A limp figure falls to the ground, and the smaller silhouette beside him crouches down beside the fallen almost immediately.

There is weak laugh from the fallen man. "Ahahah... I'm sorry, Tsuna... I couldn't finish the game together with you..." He smiles weakly, reaching a cold hand to wipe the pure crystal tears falling to his face.

Honey brown eyes full of tears brim once again, tears slip down, sliding smoothly down the pale skin. A small weak voice manages out a quiet murmur. "I-It's not a game, Yamamoto... Y-You know that... WE ALL KNOW THAT!" His small hands clench the fabric of the darker haired man's suit. "Yamamoto, you can't leave me! Not now!" His sobs become more consistent, and it becomes harder to hear his words. Sawada Tsunayoshi cradles his best friend on his arms, calling for medics, all while knowing his friend will not survive. But he is determined to keep him alive no matter what. After all, Yamamoto has been through almost everything with him.

Yamamoto coughs, flecks of red stains Tsuna's pale skin and the lower half of Yamamoto's jaw. Fear fills those brown eyes, and Tsuna buries his face in Yamamoto's chest. "W-Why...?" He whispers. "Why did you do it...?"

Yamamoto takes a painful laugh. "I had to... protect you... right? This game... It's pretty hard... Y-You'll get through, right...?" The warmth is already fading from his hands. Where are the medics? "You've got to keep fighting, Tsuna. That's why I took the bullet for you." The dark haired man takes a painful breath, pulling Tsuna towards him with the remaining strength he has. "I love you, Tsuna. It's not your fault. You've got to keep living... No matter what happens, you've got to keep living... Keep living for me... I love you so much...you don't even know how much... FF-ighto...Tsuna..."

It was the last time their lips met.

* * *

_Hey, Tsuna... Did you know?_

_In the beginning... I did think it was a game. That was... most naive of me. But from the moment I had to put my life on the line for you - not that I cared much, because it was for you - it became clear that it wasn't just a game. It was a game of life and death. If I wasn't careful, I'd lose you forever._

_I also knew how much it hurt you to have us involved. Normal, unknowing civilians... involved in such... gruesome activities. Soon, we were all involved, but not one of us cared. We all did this for you, Tsuna... Me, the most. The moment I saw that emotion flicker upon your face, I knew it was better for you to have me think of it as a game. And that was the first thing I did as your subordinate; I played my part, and it had to be played well. I had to become the clueless friend. Like that, you'll smile more. You'll smile with less guilt. You'll smile with more ease. But most of all...You'll smile at me. _

_It's not your fault, Tsuna. None of this was your fault. It was all mine. Don't blame it on yourself. It was my choice to become your friend—from the moment I saw you, I loved you. It was my choice to be your guardian. It was my choice to become your lover. Guess what? It was also my choice to take that bullet for you. I value your life more than anything in the world. You mean more to me than myself._

_Did you know? I love you, Tsuna, more than anything in the world. More than Jirou, Kojirou, swords, baseball... _

_You're the one and only, Tsuna. _

* * *

Tsuna felt the warmth leave him. He felt him go stiff. He felt him die.

And felt him leave.

Yamamoto had left him.

Left the world.

Yamamoto left him for him.

It was his fault.

Everything was his fault.

If it weren't for him, Yamamoto wouldn't have put down his baseball and picked up the swords.

If it weren't for him, Yamamoto could be an international star.

If it weren't for him, Yamamoto wouldn't be involved in the mafia.

If it weren't for him, Yamamoto wouldn't have had to put his life on the line.

If it weren't for him, Yamamoto wouldn't have died.

If it weren't for him, Yamamoto would _still be alive_.

Tsuna stopped thinking for a moment. It dawned on him slowly, as if the shock of losing his lover made Tsuna's thinking stop short. _Still be alive… It's all my fault…_ The thought itself stung more than it should have.

The love of his life, gone.

"Ju-Juudaime…" whispered Gokudera by his ear.

But he didn't hear.

"Juudaime!"

"B-Boss…"

"…Omnivore."

"…Tsunayoshi..."

"S-Sawada…"

_'Tsuna!'_

Tsuna could hear him calling his name in that bright, happy voice. After everyone else's. But when he looked up, there was one missing. And that was the one that he wanted to see the most.

"Y-Yamamoto…?" Tsuna mumbled, blinking slowly. "Wh-Where's Yamamoto?"

No one said anything, afraid to tell him the truth. What would happen to their boss if the cold, hard truth crashed down on him just like that?

The shock had wiped the memories of the death.

Deep inside, he knew what had happened, but every molecule of him rejected the idea.

Tsuna slumped back down onto the floor, holding his head in his hands. "Tell me where he is! I want to see him!"

Chrome was the one to make the first move. She knelt down slowly beside him, wrapping a comforting arm around the man. She held him close and affectionately, silent tears dropped as she attempted to comfort him. "…Boss… Yamamoto-san is…"

Gokudera shook his head rapidly as Tsuna sobbed into his hands. He put a finger to his lips, shaking his head. "Yamamoto… He's…"

Tsuna didn't hear the end of that sentence.

* * *

_"Yamamoto!" Tsuna gripped the dying man's shoulders, heaving him up. "Yamamoto, Ryohei's here! Look!"_

_The Sun Guardian's eyes when blank as he kneeled beside the man. "Sawada…" Kangaryuu gave a short, strangled squeak, as she bent down, licking the man's cheek softly. _

_"Yamamoto!" _

_"Sawada!"_

_"Yamamoto Takeshi! What are you doing? Why aren't you getting better?!" Tsuna ripped open Yamamoto's dress shirt in desperation. And his blood froze. Why wasn't he bleeding anymore? The Decimo felt a strong grip on his arm, but he yanked it away, falling onto the baseball player's chest in haste to reach Yamamoto's beautifully tanned face. "Yamamoto!" He brought his hands to the man's nose and mouth—but felt nothing. Shakily, he placed a hand to the other's neck, checking for a pulse._

_And his world turned upside down. And it was all his fault._

_Tsuna pressed his lips to his significant other's several times, but felt the cold chapped lips make no reaction. "No! Yamamoto!"_

_"Juudaime!" Someone was pulling him. Pulling him away. Away from Yamamoto. Away from his lover._

_"No! Don't touch me! He'll be fine! __**Yamamoto's going to be fine!**__ Wake up, Takeshi! It's not funny!" Several arms were now holding him back, but the emotions made him stronger. Tsuna pulled away, launching himself back at his Rain Guardian. He grabbed the front of the larger man's collar, lifting the torso. He shook it hard, screaming words at the man. "Wake up, Takeshi! You said we'd get through this together! We were going to go back to Japan together! You have to wake up! Wake the __**fuck**__ up!"_

_Tsuna never swore. When he did, it meant that something was gravely wrong. This was way past 'gravely wrong'. Tsuna couldn't stand it anymore._

_Hands were reaching to pull him away, away from his beloved Yamamoto._

_"Tsuna! Let him go!"_

_"No! Don't touch me! Don't touch him! He's fine!"_

_"Let him go," commanded a deep voice._

_"Shut up, Hibari, you don't know anything! Dino's fine, isn't he? Yamamoto will be fine, just wait!"_

_As Gokudera pulled the Decimo away from his Rain Guardian, Ryohei carefully pried his hands away from the scrunched blue collar._

_"Leave me alone!" screamed Tsuna. "Stop it! Yamamoto's absolutely fine! He's okay! Right, Ryohei?! You can heal him, right? Just like before!"_

_Tears had made their way down Tsuna's cheeks, dripping steadily into his lap. It was impossible, Yamamoto couldn't be dead. They'd make it through, right? The opposition had stopped firing. They'd won. They'd won, Yamamoto laughing and making jokes just a few minutes ago! He'd even kissed Tsuna! Just a little moment ago!_

_"Takeshi!"_

_"Tsuna, he's dead!" Gokudera yelled as he hugged Tsuna from behind, holding the man still. "Tsuna, stop!"_

_The hyperventilating started as Ryohei and Mukuro bent over Yamamoto with grim expressions. Tears were streaming non-stop, now. "He's fucking __**fine**__! Let me go! Fuck __**off**__! Leave him alone! He's not dead! He's absolutely fine! Look at him! We're going to go back to Japan to see my mom! We're gonna go back and celebrate! We're gonna go back to see Yuni-chan and Kyoko-chan and Haru!" Tsuna struggled helplessly, emotions overflowing. "I can't—I can't do anything without him!"_

_Gokudera turned Tsuna around gripped his shoulders tight and took a deep breath, but Reborn beat him to it. "Tsuna." The usually stoic and nonchalant hitman's voice broke as he spoke his student's name. "Tsuna, stop. He's gone, and he's not going to come back. Just stop."_

_Why was even Gokudera crying?! Yamamoto was fine, he was absolutely fine! He was being the awesome kisser he was just a few moments ago! What was he doing?! Why was Hibari taking off Yamamoto's weapon, his box weapons?! You only do that to the fallen Mafioso!_

_"Ryohei! Onii-chan!" Tsuna screamed, "He's going to be fine, right? Yamamoto's going to be fine!"_

_The usually loud and proud boxer didn't say anything. He helped lift Yamamoto onto a stretcher and turned to Tsuna, shaking his head sadly. Chrome knelt down beside him and rubbed his back gently. "Boss… He's gone."_

_Then she stood and left with the medics, hugging herself tightly._

* * *

The reality of the situation crashed down hard on Tsuna. Colour drained from his face. "H-He's… g-gone…?" Yamamoto was gone, dead, and never coming back. Never going to laugh with him, never going to eat with him, never going to joke around with him. Never, not ever again. His relationship was all over. It was all over. Everything that meant something to him was gone.

Just like that. One little mafia war. One little mistake. One little thing that his hyper-intuition didn't pick up. And Yamamoto was gone.

"Boss… "

"How… How am I going to...?" Tsuna's chest tightened as the found it harder to breath. He stared up at the other guardians who stayed silent in return. Tsuna clenched the area above his chest. "It… It hurts."

He heard her gasp. "Boss, we need to get you treated."

It took him a while to manage the words out. "Why… Why does it matter?" He took a deep breath before screaming and looking at all his guardians. "Why the fuck does it matter?!" Tsuna fell limp in Chrome's arms. "He's gone, Yamamoto's gone... Takeshi's gone...and I couldn't save him… It's all my fault… I can't do this without him… I can't live without him…"

Chrome tightened her embrace around him. "It's not your fault, Boss…"

"Why do I want to keep living if I can only live for myself?!" Tsuna screamed, then buried his face in Chrome's chest sobbing loudly.

"Boss, what were his last words?" she whispered, voice breaking slightly.

"H-He… He told me… to keep living… He told me to keep living for him."

The purple haired girl nodded softly, rubbing her boss's back gently to comfort him. "That's right," she murmured, "don't live for yourself. Live for him."

* * *

Slender fingers brushed the stone grave affectionately. Light rain drizzled above, but the man didn't notice.

"Yamamoto…" he whispered, voice hoarse from crying.

He set down a bouquet of small, blue flowers. "I love you, Takeshi," he murmured, before turning away from the grave and staring up into the gray sky.

Rain drops fell onto his face, shielding the tear tracks that stained his pale porcelain face, soaking his light brown hair.

A swallow chirped nearby, and a small smile flickered on the man's face, before he walked slowly out of the graveyard, not looking back.

A photo lay between the flowers.

An old, slightly faded photo.

Three young figures; a silver-haired male with a bad looking expression and gleaming green eyes, a small brunet boy with the warmest honey-brown eyes you would ever meet, and last, a tall Japanese male with jet black hair, cheerful chocolate brown eyes.

And the rain continued falling. Slowly and gently.


End file.
